Brown Brings Beaugay Combination With Rougir, Lemista

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Brown Brings Beaugay Combination With Rougir, Lemista
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Rougir trains Nov. 2 at Del Mar

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown is currently tied will Christophe Clement and Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens for having trained four winners of the Beaugay Stakes (G3T)—though perhaps not after this weekend.

When the race is renewed May 14, Brown has two high-percentage chances in Rougir  and Lemista , with the duo likely to be the first and second choices among the wagering public. Clement, meanwhile, is represented with contender Plum Ali  in the 1 1/16-mile turf race at Belmont Park.

Group 1 winner Rougir will make her first start for Brown and co-owners Peter Brant and Michael Tabor after she was purchased for the equivalent of $3,393,043 by Brant's White Birch Farm and M.V. Magnier at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in December. The 4-year-old French-bred daughter of Territories  was last seen finishing seventh in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) in November at Del Mar. 

A winner of four of 14 starts, she scored her most prestigious victory last year when she took the Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1) a start before the Breeders' Cup.

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Lemista and Rougir breezed five furlongs in company May 6 over the Belmont inner turf. Rougir was timed in 1:02.45, Lemista in 1:02.40

"She's been training very well," Brown said of Rougir. "We took the winter to get her acclimated and such and she's been coming along nicely. We know that she had some good form last year and it looked like maybe she needed a break after a long campaign. We gave her extra time and brought her along slow. Her last string of works have been impressive and she has a nice turn of foot."

Brown indicated Rougir is likely to stretch out going forward this year. 

"It might be a touch short for her, but it's a starting point," Brown said. 

Flavien Prat picks up the mount from post 1. 

Brant and Brown will also send out multiple group winner Lemista, who finished second in last year's Beaugay a half-length behind Harvey's Lil Goil after she was imported from overseas. She then ran eighth in the Diana Stakes (G1T) and third in the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) before going to the sidelines.

"This filly has come along well. She got sick on us after the Beverly D.," Brown said. 

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Lemista from post 2. 

Clement will also look for a record fifth Beaugay win with Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Michael Caruso's graded stakes winner Plum Ali. She is riding a two-race win streak, having won the Plenty of Grace Stakes April 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack and the Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 14.

"I'd like her to have a career at the stakes level where she can be competitive," said Clement. "It's not easy because it's a competitive division and there are a lot of very good horses."

Manny Franco rides.

High Opinion , Stolen Holiday , Runaway Rumour , and Our Flash Drive  round out the field.


Entries: Beaugay S. (G3T)

Belmont Park, Saturday, May 14, 2022, Race 10

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/16m
  • Inner turf
  • $150,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 5:50 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Rougir (FR) Flavien Prat 122 Chad C. Brown 1/1
2 2Lemista (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Chad C. Brown 5/2
3 3Stolen Holiday (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Javier Castellano 118 Claude R. McGaughey III 8/1
4 4Plum Ali (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Manuel Franco 122 Christophe Clement 6/1
5 5Runaway Rumour (NY) Jose Lezcano 120 Jorge R. Abreu 15/1
6 6High Opinion (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Eric Cancel 118 Anthony W. Dutrow 8/1
7 7Our Flash Drive (FL) Dylan Davis 120 Mark E. Casse 15/1